St. James Cathedral Basilica

Welcome! We are the Cathedral parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn serving the communities of Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo and Vinegar Hill. 

We are a diverse community who together strive to celebrate our faith through Word, Prayer, Worship, Community and Service.

Hymn Texts for August 2nd, 2020


Opening Hymn: As We Gather At Your Table

1. As we gather at your table, as we listen to your Word,
Help us know, O God your presence:
Let our hearts and minds be stirred.
Nourish us with sacred story till we claim it as our own;

Teach us through this holy banquet
How to make Love’s victory known.

2. Turn our worship in to witness in the sacrament of life;
Send us forth to love and serve you,

Bringing peace where there is strife.
Give us, Christ, your great compassion to forgive as you forgave;

May we still behold your image
In the world you died to save.

Offertory Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the king of creation!
O my soul praise Him, for he is our health and salvation!
Come all who hear: brothers and sisters draw near,
Praise Him with glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, above all things so mightily reigning;
Keeping us safe at his side, and so gently sustaining.
Have you not seen All you have needed has been
Met by his gracious ordaining.

3. Praise to the Lord, who shall prosper our work and defend us;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend us.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
Who with his love will befriend us.
 

Communion Hymn: You Satisfy the Hungry Heart

Refrain:
You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
come five to us, O Saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.

1. As when the shepherd calls his sheep, they know and heed his voice;
So when you call your family Lord, we follow and rejoice.

2.With joyful lips we sing to you our praise and gratitude,
That you should count us worthy, Lord, to share this heavenly food.

Recessional Hymn: Now Thank We All Our God

1. Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom His world rejoices.
Who from our mother’s arms,
Hath blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

2. O may this gracious God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts,
And blessed peace to cheer us;
Preserve us in His grace,

And guide us in distress,
And free us from all sin,
Till heaven we possess.

July 18th, 2020 - Important Announcement about St. James Feast Day

The annual celebration of the Feast of Saint James on the 25th of July will not be held this year at the Cathedral-Basilica. As we uphold the national, local, and diocesan restrictions, a gathering of that size in our church is not possible at this time. We are grateful for what some had seen as a record attendance last year. We hope and pray that even larger numbers will be able to celebrate next July. Your prayers, patience, and cooperation are greatly appreciated, as we all struggle in these difficult times.




June 21, 2020 - SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I, Deacon Ron Rizzuto and the staff of Saint James Cathedral-Basilica are happy to announce the beginnings of our church reopening. We will have weekday Mass at the usual noon time beginning Monday 29 June and one Sunday Mass beginning Sunday 5 July at 11:00 AM.

The church will be open 11:00 to 1:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 to the end of Mass or 12:00 noon on Sundays.

All Mass attendees are reminded that we will be strictly adhering to diocesan and city guidelines.

Attendees are to wear face masks and sit in the designated places to conform to social distancing. There is to be no physical exchange of peace and Holy Communion will be distributed in-hand.

Devotional prayer at statues, group recitation of the Holy Rosary, Coffee Hour and the lighting of candles will not be available at this time.

Restrooms are not open.

Please be advised that this is our provisional arrangement and should the diocese or civil authorities require some change, we will adhere to their guidelines.

Thank you for your attention, understanding and cooperation at this unusual time for all of us.

Peace and blessing,

Very Rev. Bryan Patterson, Rector

   __________________________________________________________________________


May 25^th, 2020 – Important Message
As many of you know, Bishop DiMarzio has been working with diocesan, medical, governmental and law enforcement officials to formulate a plan for reopening the churches in Brooklyn. The plan that has emerged is very detailed and challenging. The schedule is this:
 
REOPENING SCHEDULE
Stage 1: Opening of Churches for private prayer and devotion, Funerals, Baptisms and Weddings (May 26th) 
Stage 2: Limited Celebrations of Daily Mass (No date has been set yet)
Stage 3:  Limited Celebrations of Sunday Mass (No date has been set yet)
Stage 4:  Celebration of First Holy Communion and Confirmation (No date has been set yet) 
The commencement dates of these stages (numbers 2,3, and 4) will be announced.
 
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE DETAILED GUIDELINES:
• Before opening, pastors and administrators may be interested in sanitizing the church. 
• After the churches reopen for private prayer and devotion, the full reopening of the churches for liturgical celebrations will begin after the order for reopening of large gatherings has been given. This is important because of the danger of gathered crowds and the possible spread of the virus.
• One door should be opened for entrance into the church. However, all doors should be available for egress in emergencies.
 • The church should be marked off with painter’s tape to show areas that adhere to social distancing guidelines 
• The elderly and all who are health-compromised MUST be advised to stay home. Communications to parishioners should tell them that anyone who feels sick in any way must stay home. Parishioners should be asked to take their temperatures before leaving their home and should stay home if the temperature is over 100 degrees.  
• The church will have been measured and marked off, respecting social distancing norms. 
• There is to be NO holy water in the fonts. 
• Crying rooms and other rooms aside from the main church must be kept closed and locked. 
• Hymnals, missalettes and any other worship aids must be removed from the pews and stored away. 
• Bulletins must not be distributed, nor should there be any literature available for people to take. 
• Parishioners must be advised of the requirement to wear masks, which they will bring on their own from home. No one should be in church without a mask.
 • Hand sanitizer should be available at the entrance to church but parishioners are to be encouraged to bring their own from home, as well. 
• Restrooms should be open and available but used by one person at a time and must be cleaned regularly. 
• It is advisable that churches be cleaned after each opening. 
• For the foreseeable future, parishes may not schedule any events which will draw crowds and make social distancing difficult.
  
PRIVATE PRAYER AND DEVOTION
  
• The church will be open for a limited time period each day. The church should remain open for no more than 4 hours each day. These hours should not coincide with the time a Mass is celebrated in the church. 
• There is to be no congregating of people (e.g. gathering to say a rosary together). There should not be more than ten (10) people in the church and there cannot be a group gathered. 
• The faithful must be instructed not to touch statues or other devotional objects in the church. 
• Two ushers or other volunteers MUST be present in the church to assure that social distancing rules are observed and to determine whether the church is getting too crowded. 
Please note that some churches in high population density areas will not be able to open on the May 26th as they may have to set a different timeline.
The above is a condensed but faithful representation of the regulations given us by the bishop. While some churches may be in a position to comply fully, it should be obvious that many places are not yet ready.
The church must be sanitized before and after each opening. The interior has to be marked off to provide guidance on social distancing, as has been done in supermarkets and other places. Elderly people are being asked to stay home. The standard understanding is anyone seventy and above is ‘elderly’ and this would exclude many of our parishioners. Whoever does visit will be restricted to the four hour window and will be required to wear a facemask the whole time, without exception. Visitors are not to touch objects within the church or gather to pray the rosary. At no time are more than ten people to be in the church at any given moment and two ushers or volunteers must be present to ensure compliance. The cathedral is in downtown Brooklyn, which has a high population density.
 
Our Cathedral-Basilica
Given these considerations, the rector, in consultation with the pastoral associate/business manager and the trustees has come to the decision that the cathedral is not prepared to adhere to the guidelines and provide the intended safe environment at this time.
We are working closely with the diocesan offices, the police department and other authorities to open the cathedral at the earliest date possible. Your prayers, patience and consideration are especially appreciated at this time.
Very Reverend Bryan Patterson
Rector and Pastor
Saint James Cathedral-Basilica
 

URGENT UPDATE FROM THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN 
 
Given the continuing and growing concern about the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Bishop DiMarzio has determined that all public masses be cancelled in the Diocese of Brooklyn beginning Monday, March 16th, until further notice. This includes weekday masses as well as Sunday. Funerals and Weddings will be permitted but should be limited to family members only. Parish baptism celebrations should be limited to family only, if they cannot be postponed. Confirmations should be celebrated with the Rite of Confirmation without Mass, if need be, and in consultation with the Bishop scheduled to celebrate the Confirmation.  
 
The faithful of the diocese are reminded that the Bishop has already issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The obligation to keep the Lord’s Day holy can be fulfilled by maintaining a prayerful attitude and through personal and family prayer.  
 
The faithful are urged to watch the celebration of the Eucharist on TV, as well.   
 
The celebrations are scheduled as follows: Saturday at 6 pm: Vigil pre-recorded from Immaculate Conception in Jamaica (English) Sunday at 11 am: Live from St. James Cathedral in Downtown Brooklyn (English) Sunday at 1:30 pm: Pre-recorded from Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights (Spanish) 
 
NET-TV can be seen in the New York City are on Spectrum (Channel 97), Optimum (Channel 30) and FIOS (Channel 48). Viewers can also tune in online at www.netny.tv. 
 
In light of the continuing crisis, the situation is being monitored carefully and updates will follow. Let us continue to pray, especially through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for those who are sick, for medical personnel and for all people as we confront this challenge. 



Churches and Liturgy
In an effort to be proactive in our response to the spread of the Covid 19 Virus, Bishop DiMarzio has dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass until further notice.
 
Public Masses will be celebrated; however the faithful are urged to exercise caution and try to limit the numbers of persons gathered. This is in an effort to be in compliance with the State’s regulations about large public gatherings. This dispensation remains in effect until further notice.
 
Weekday Masses, too, will continue as usual with the normal precautions people should take when gathering in public places. Other celebrations (such as weddings and funerals) may take place but attendance should be limited. Celebrations such as Confirmations, First Penance, etc. may take place but attendance should be strictly limited, perhaps including only family members. There is an option for an Order for Confirmation without Mass, if this is desired. In these extremely difficult and challenging times, our primary duty is to keep the faithful safe and healthy.
 
When gathering, the faithful are urged to take the necessary precautions including hand washing, remaining at a safe distance from others and other safe practices, such as the reception of Holy Communion in the hand.
 
Schools
The elementary Catholic Academies and Parish Schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn will close next week, Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20. Monday will be used as a professional day for teachers to develop their distance learning plans. We anticipate that beginning Tuesday, children in the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Academies and Schools will have access to online learning.
In addition, the leadership of all Catholic Academies and Parish Schools are committed to following CDC guidelines regarding deep cleaning and sanitization of buildings.
 
This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution due to the rapidly changing situation and after consultation with city and state agencies. Please continue to monitor your Catholic Academy and Parish School websites next week for further updates.

Religious Education Programs
All in-person parish religious education classes, all youth ministry classes and group meetings (including all CYO activities) and all adult faith formation sessions (including RENEW and other small faith sharing groups) will be cancelled until further notice. As previously stated, all Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis classes, events, workshops, and other gatherings are also canceled during this period.
The health of all the faithful of the Diocese is of utmost concern, so let us continue to pray to the Lord Who is a healer to protect us and bring about quickly an end to this present crisis.
 
Office of the Vicar General
Diocese of Brooklyn
310 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Tel: 718.399.5995
Fax: 718.399.5965